Thursday, October 06, 2005

Nothing Says Good Morning Like Mice Parts!

That's right...David discovered it on the deck just outside the slider this morning. I was in the middle of preparing oatmeal for the kids when I heard, "Oh, it's a mouse mommy! I found a mouse!" Nothing stops me in my tracks quicker than my children hovering over small, dead animals.

David was only half right. Because it was only half a mouse. The bottom half. Interesting, because we found the top half a few days ago. That was an even less pleasant discovery. It was on the dining room floor and Sofia was pointing at it, trying to get my attention. I didn't have my contacts in yet and was about to pick it up then recoiled as the object came into focus, just inches from my face. Should I be more horrified by the severed mouse head or my poor, poor vision??

Apparently since we began letting her go outside, little Gritty is becoming quite the mouser. This isn't the first time she's left a little treat for us to find. Okay, for me to find. Seems like I'm the one always getting stung, discovering dead woodland creatures or trying to drown the fruit flies in a cup of wine. Perhaps I should drown myself in a wee bit of the stuff.

Actually what's weird is this kind of stuff isn't really bothering me anymore. It just becomes part of the daily routine; pick up kids' toys, put away some dishes, throw out bits of mouse, make the beds, make lunch, play "Candyland" with the kids, kill a dozen yellow jackets. Then clean up after lunch, play soccer outside for a bit, put kids down for nap, chase away meandering black bear from yard...

My family had a cat that for years would not only line up a beautiful cat-buffet of tiny dead mice every morning but would also BRING BACK the same dead rodents that were tossed out into the heavy brush behind the yard.